It’s so hard to say goodbye to summer, but we must; so let's celebrate all of those wonderful summer memories with a Farewell to Summer Backyard BBQ Bash! Let’s play all of those fun outdoor summer games, eat all of our favorite outdoor summer foods, and end summer on a high note with family and friends. The below are your essentials to ensure a great backyard party:
\n \nThe Food
\nThere is no need to overcomplicate a summer barbecue. Burgers and dogs are an easy choice that are loved by everyone. And supporting local? No problem! Our local farmers’ markets (Calgary Farmers’ Market and Crossroads Farmers’ Market – just to name a couple) have several local butchers where you can buy fresh meat for the grill. Throw together a couple of salads, and voila! – your food menu is complete. Here is my personal favorite, super easy, backyard pasta salad recipe:
\nFor The Love of… Backyard Pasta Salad
\n1 box of bowtie pasta (prepared)
\n2 cups fresh broccoli florets
\nPackage of cooked chicken, chopped
\n1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
\n1 green pepper, cut into small pieces
\n3/4 cup cubed cheddar cheese
\nItalian dressing (to taste – approximately 1 cup)
\nParmesan cheese (to taste)
\nCook the pasta according to the box directions, adding the broccoli florets during the last two minutes of cooking. Drain under cool water. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the Parmesan cheese. Toss well. Top with Parmesan cheese to taste.
\nDo you want to add an edible, but healthy, decoration? A watermelon bowl is super quick and easy to make, and you can fill it with fresh fruit or watermelon salad. To make a watermelon bowl, thinly slice off a piece of the watermelon that will be the bottom of your bowl. This will stabilize your watermelon bowl so it’s not rolling around your picnic table. Make sure to scrub your watermelon thoroughly first! Next, slice off the top third of your watermelon, or go as shallow or deep as you would like your bowl to be. Then, scoop out all of the flesh. You can use a melon baller, but that will be time consuming. I prefer to use a metal spoon, and then I neatly cut the removed watermelon flesh that I am adding back into the bowl later. Once your bowl is empty, cut out small triangles around the top edge of your bowl to give your watermelon bowl a super fancy rim. This 15-minute watermelon hack is a beautiful and handy way to serve up your watermelon for your next party.
\nA super easy, loved-by-all dessert option is an ice cream sundae bar. Put out a few different flavors of ice-cream (set out in buckets of ice, of course), chocolate and/or butterscotch sauce, and bowls of toppings such as sprinkles, mini peanut butter cups, marshmallows, gummy bears, and strawberries, and you have an easy dessert that has something for everyone.
\nThe Games and Entertainment
\nBackyard lawns are the perfect spot for bocce, cornhole, horseshoes, and croquet. We’re going to miss these outdoor summer games soon, so bring them all out for some friendly competition! And don’t forget the water balloons!
\nAre you looking to really impress your guests with backyard fun? How about renting a bouncy house? There are a ton of local businesses that rent these out at affordable rates, and the amount of fun that will be had is priceless. Tubby’s Party Rentals (a Calgary-owned business since 1982) has quite the variety of party inflatables, and they even rent out mini golf courses, dunk tanks, inflatable outdoor movie screens, and much, much more if you are really looking to impress.
\nLet the games begin!
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Jennifer is a local foodie with a passion for food writing. Find more of her food writing on her Facebook page: For The Love of Food YYC.
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